This invention relates to a method and apparatus for treating biological tissue using therapeutic laser techniques.
Lasers provide monochromatic light, and have found a number of uses in the field of medicine. Monochromatic light coming from a laser is of the same wavelength, and the coherent characteristic of laser light typically refers to the waves making up the laser light having the same direction, amplitude, and phase with respect to one another.
Lasers used for medical treatments typically fall into several groups. For example, “hot” lasers are typically used in surgery, and “mid-power” lasers may be used in photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment, dermatological treatments, etc. “Low energy” lasers generally deliver significantly less energy to tissue than surgical lasers and mid-power, and accordingly, produce relatively little heat in biological tissue such that the tissue is not subjected to thermal damage. Low energy lasers have been used for dermatology treatments, traumatology, and in other areas for enhancing healing and providing therapeutic benefits.
Due to scattering, laser light may begin to lose coherence and its monochromatic characteristics upon entering tissue. Thus, using conventional techniques and equipment, deeper biological tissue may not be able to distinguish laser light and thus potentially not benefit therefrom.